Parent Resources
Creating a Supportive, Safe Community
The Trent University campuses in Peterborough and Oshawa offer students a safe and supportive place to live, work and study.
Campus officials work diligently to maintain effective security measures, provide safety education initiatives and create a forum for communication about potential threats. Students can help us in maintaining a safe, positive community, and you can help by talking with your student about the importance of self- and community-responsibility.
Section Links:
Click on any of the links below for more information
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- Trent Security regularly patrols campus buildings, pathways, parking lots, and roads, by foot, bicycle, and automobile. Law enforcement, traffic, physical security, assistance, investigations, and emergency services all receive 24 hour attention, 365 days of the year.
- The mandate of the Risk Management Department is to strike a balance between risk and opportunity to safeguard the University Community, and to support the continued success and academic growth of Trent University.
- Trent Walkhome can used by student, staff or faculty members. Volunteers are available from 7pm -1am to walk you from one place on campus (Symons or Trail). This services can be used after class, when you need to go the Library or Athletic Complex, or just to walk you to the bus stop or parking lot.
- Trent University Emergency First Response Team (TUEFRT) is a volunteer organization which runs 24/7 during the academic year to provide first response to any medical situation on Symons Campus. Our personnel are trained First Responder to the standards of Red Cross and will respond to any medical emergency no matter the severity. We are not a replacement for EMS but we do provide a response time which currently averages at 3 minutes.
- Human Rights Office and
“Trent University recognizes the dignity and worth of every person and aims to create a climate of understanding and mutual respect.”
- Accessibility training for all faculty and staff. People living with disabilities should have the opportunity to participate fully in all areas of life in our province. That’s the goal of Ontario’s new AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities) legislation. In order to achieve this, Trent University is offering training to all members of the Trent community, including faculty, staff, administration, student employees, and volunteers, to help them meet accessibility standards. Take a look at our ODA Access Plan.
- Disability Services Office's (DSO) mission is to support students with disabilities in Trent’s academic environment through individualized service, integration of service and promotion of development of the individual student.
- The Trent Central Student Association is the student union that represents all full-time undergraduate and bachelor of education students at Trent University.
Advocacy through the "Central" steams generally as the Central represents the interests of its members to all levels of government and university administration. A wide variety of commissioner positions (queer, Indigenous, Anti-Racism, Students with Disabilities, International, Mature and many more) allow for advocacy at many levels.
- Trent University strives to provide a supportive environment in which all students have the opportunity to pursue their academic interests and to participate in extra-curricular and social activities. The University environment is necessarily tolerant of diverse ideas, points of view and interests. The purpose of the Charter of Rights and Responsibilities is to inform students of their rights and responsibilities and to provide avenues for response to any issues regarding such rights and responsibilities.
- A recent creation of the "Downtown Task Force" is allowing students Peterborough specific information about how to be safe downtown. Beyond just information, the DTF also acts an advocate for students who may
Beyond Trent, Peterborough as a city is working on creating and maintaining safe communitities.
- The purpose of the Peterborough Lakefield Community Police Service Liaison Committee for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Communities is to provide communication between the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities and the Peterborough Lakefield Community Police Service; to enhance the overall safety of lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender persons with particular regard to crimes of violence, discrimination and harassment and to develop active strategies to combat the concerns; to be a voice in support of a Peterborough Lakefield Community Police Service working environment that welcomes police officers and civilian employees who are members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities by increasing understanding between these communities and advocating on issues of importance.
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Reminding Students to Take Care of Themselves
Encourage your student to:
- Lock the door. Even though your student “knows everyone on the floor,” s/he can’t control for guests and visitors strolling the hallways. Same goes for off campus houses.
- Ask who is at the door before opening it. The residence hall community does not have to be totally informal.
- Walk with a buddy at night or in potentially dangerous situations. And use the Trent Walkhome student escort program.
- Be smart about alcohol and drug use. Being under the influence makes it difficult to think clearly.
- Get to know the campus security officers.
- Be careful about the information s/he chooses to share online.
- Keep his/her whereabouts “under wraps.” Posting a schedule on the door or online is not a good idea.
- Keep vehicles locked and store valuables out of site—and be cautious and aware when approaching the car late at night.
Taking Care of the Community
Encourage your student to:
- Unprop propped doors to residence halls or other buildings on campus. Propped doors make security’s job more difficult and compromise the overall security measures in place.
- Deny strangers access to residence (by not letting in people behind him/her) —even if the individual appears to be a student. Though it can be hard to confront a stranger and deny access, this help keeps everyone safer.
- Treat the campus grounds with respect. Vandalizing and damaging directional signs, fire extinguishers and other safety equipment costs the university valuable funds and compromises safety.
- Follow campus policies—they’re in place for students’ safety.
- Report suspicious behaviors to the appropriate campus officials, even if it’s “just a hunch.” Every bit of information about a potential threat is critical.
Taking Emergency- Preparedness Drills Seriously
Encourage your student to cooperate with emergency-preparedness drills to assist in ensuring the campus is as safe and prepared as possible.
Working Together with Campus Officials
Campus officials are trained to work with students. They have a great deal of expertise in helping to manage difficult situations, referring students to the appropriate resources and working together to create a safe educational environment. Encourage your student to ask for help when needed. Student life professionals, campus security officers, staff and faculty members will offer support—and point your student in the right direction.
Getting Involved!
A large part of the Trent experience is getting involved. There are countless groups on campus and if your student cannot find one they like, they can start their own! Funding for student run clubs and groups is available twice a year from the student's assigned college.
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The University Transition
The transition to University, whether it is from high school, employment, or another post-secondary insitution can be challenging. Trent has numerous opportunities for students to ease their way into Trent Life. Below are a few resources.
- New Student Advising or NSA is a hands-on, interactive day designed to give you all the info you'll need to start off university on the right track.
- Through a wide variety of interactive and fun activities, Bring It On! provides students with a chance to get comfortable with the campus, meet new friends, and experience life on campus for a weekend.
- The Academic Skills Centre (ASC) at Trent University is dedicated to instructing undergraduate and graduate students in the skills necessary for success in university. ASC has one-on-one appointments to go over academic papers, they run the peer mentoring program, university prep courses and much more.
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Parental Resources
We know that going to university is a big transition for both students and parents or guardians. This section is intended to help the families of students embark on the university experience. To help with the transition we have assembled a number of resources for parents.
Does your student live in residence?
Click here for parental resources from Trent University's Housing Department.
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Questions & Answers
We encourage you to send us any questions you have by email.
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